Gaseous discharge tube



INVENTORS "Hyer, lac/'sane ONM Oct. 22, 1946. c. H1LL.YER, JR., ,ET AL GASEOUS DISCHARGE TUBE Original Filed Sept. 7, 1940 I l ///.1,. Nm 7 Z WwMYVL T a@ am@ N l@ ll, 2

7 /7 N a 57N Z Z z 4 2 z5 wire, quite often in Patented Oct. 22, 1946 GAsEoUs DISCHARGE TUBE Curtis Hiuyer, Jr., and Henry Blackstone, nach; mond Hill, N. Y.

Original application September 7, 1940, Serial No.`

355,708. Divided an 1941, Serial No. 381,951

(Cl. Z50-27.5)

12 Claims. l

This invention relates to an electron discharge device and more particularlyto a gaseous discharge tetrode of the thyratron type.

This application is a division ot our application Serial No. 355,708, led September 7, 1940, entitled Projectile Different types of apparatus depend for control thereof upon circuits including one or more electron discharge devices of the character here under consideration. For purposes of brevity, devices of this character are hereinafter referred to as tubes. These tubes are inherently delicate or frangible, and accordingly unable to withstand substantial shocks or continued excessive Vibration. As often as not their heater iilaments, control and screen grids are formed of fine coil form, which readily becomes displaced if the tube is roughly handled, while other parts of the tubes tend to bend, crumble or break. It is accordingly among the objects of this invention to provide aV tube of the above character which is able to function efliciently and over an extended period of time under conditions of substantial shock or excessive continued vibration. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements ofl parts as will be exempliiied in the structure to be hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the drawing, wherein there is shown one of the various possible embodiments of our invention, the single ligure is a sectional elevation of our tube.

With reference to the drawing, we have generally indicated at I a rigid elongated cylinder fabricated from any malleable, inexpensive metal such as iron, nickel or the like, the top and bottom of which are closed, respectively, by metallic header members 2 and 3. Headers 2 and 3 may conveniently take the form of reentrant cylindrical members fitting snugly within the interior of cylinder I to which they may be secured in any suitable manner as by welding.

Securely clamped between headers 2 and 3 within cylinderI is an elongated generally cylindrical metallic support, generally indicated at 4, preferably comprising a tubular intermediate section 5, an upper flared section Ii, and a lower ared section 'I. The top of Support 4 abuts the bottom of header 2, while the bottom of the support abuts the top of header 3. Hence, when the d this application March 6,

headers are welded in place within cylinder I, support 4 is securely held in proper position. If desired, the support may be welded to cylinder I.

The inside of support section` 5 is provided with a shoulder 8, on which is seated a perforated disc-like shield grid 9. Grid SI is `held in place on shoulder B by an annular ceramic bushing I0, the upper portion of which has a rabbet II. Another ceramic bushing I2 is also provided with a rabbet I3, which, with rabbet II, forms an annular slot in which a perforated disc-like control grid I4 is seated, and accordingly insulated from screen grid 9 and support section 5. A second perforated disc-shaped screen grid I5 rests on top of ceramic bushing I2, and includes an upwardly extending flange I5a which fits within support section 5, and may be electrically and mechanically connected thereto as by welding, if desired. It may be seen that grids 9, I4 and I5 are spaced from one another by ceramic bushings I0 and I2, grid I4 being insulated from grids 9 and I5 and from support 4 by bushings I0 and I2.

Still another ceramic bushing I6 is disposed within support section 5, and includes a downwardly extending reduced portion Ilia, which fits within flange I5a of grid I5. Bushing I6 also has an interior annular rabbet IGI), which provides a shoulder on which an anode plate I1 is clamped by a generally conical shaped ceramic cap I8. The top of lceramic cap I8 has a small depression la formed therein into which a projection I9, formed in the bottom 2o of header 2V extends. Thus, when the several ceramic pieces are assembled within support 4, and header 2 is installed in the top of cylinder I, projection I9 not only locates ceramic cap I3 in proper position, but securely holds it therein against transverse and axial displacement, together with the bushings therebelow.

Header bottom 2a is provided with an opening which may conveniently be sealed by an insulating seal 20 of glass or the like, through which a conductor 2l extends. Conductor 2| also extends through ceramic cap I8 and is connected to anode I1. Another conductor 22 is disposed within cylinder I and is electrically connected to grid I4. It may be seen that conductor 22 is electrostatically isolated from anode conductor 2l by support 4 and cylinder I.

As noted hereinabove, support 4 includes a lower, outwardly flared section 1, and grid conduotor 22 extends by way of an insulator 22a through this section and through a seal 23 mounted in the bottom 3a of header 3. From the above, it may now be seen that inasmuch as the several grids 9, I4 and l5, and anode Il, are

Vdisc-shaped and are supported at their peripheries, and inasmuch as their supporting structure is formed of coaxial elements, a unitary structure is vprovided which is well able to withstand substantial axial stresses as well as transverse stresses resulting from forces imparted axially and transversely of the tube. parts are securely held in proper spaced relationship, continued shocks or excessive vibration can have. no effect in displacing them relative to one another. Furthermore, inasmuch as the upper portion of ceramic cap I8 is generally conical in shape, and is accurately located with respectv to header 2, assembly of the parts is greatly expedited and lateral displacement thereof, which might otherwise occur from shock or vibration, is substantially precluded.

Still further, as the side walls of support i diverge laterally at the upper and lower ends thereof so as to form substantially frusto-conical portions terminating in enlarged cylindrical portions, the support walls are well able to absorb all stresses imparted thereto from the inertia of the grids and their ceramic bushings.

Top 3a of header 3 also has mounted therein insulating seals 24 and 25, and also has mounted thereon a post 26 which may be formed of glass or other suitable insulating material, and which extends upwardly and preferably coaXially of the tube. A support 2l is mounted in the upper end of post 26 and has a groove 27a formed in the top thereof. A filament ported in groove 21a so `that the ends of the lament hang down from the groove and are connected respectively to spring wires 29 and 3U, of desirable thickness and length, these spring wires in turn being respectively connected to conductors 3| and 32 which extend through 'insulating seals 25 and 24. Thus post 25, filament support 27, filament wire 28 and control grid wire 22 all extend, or rather are disposed in substantially parallel relationship to the axis of the tube, in which. position they are best able to withstand the stresses resulting from forces impressed on the tube axially thereof. The stresses imparted to lament support 21 are largely compressional, whereas those, imparted to filament wire 28 are tensional. .It should. also be noted that spring wires 2S and 3d hold the filament wire taut during assembly, and also accommodate such expansion as may occur in the filament upon heating thereof, with the result that the lament is constantly maintained condition. Y

It will now appear that we have provided a tube of the character under consideration which is well able to withstand shocks and vibration Without any impairment of its operating eiiiciency.

As many possible embodiments may be made of theA above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim v 1. An electric discharge device comprising, in combination, an elongated hollow metal cylinder closed at both ends by metal headers hermetically sealed thereto, a metallic supporting member Within said cylinder, said supporting memberincluding a middle elongated cylindrical section and ilared end sections, said end sections engagin a substantially taut l v plurality of insulating As these several wire or cathode 28 is suping said cylinder and respectively said headers, a members supported by said supporting member, anode and grid elements supported by said insulating members in spaced relation, and an elongated cathode supportedl by one of `said headers and extending therefrom into said supporting member toward said elements.

2. An electric discharge device comprising, in combination, a hollow metal cylinder closed at both ends by headers hermetically sealed thereto, an elongated metal cylindrical supporting member disposed within said cylinder, a plurality of insulating members supported by said supporting member, anode and grid elements supported by saidA insulating members in spaced relationship, and a cathode secured to one of said headers and extending into said supporting member toward said elements.

3. An electric discharge device comprising, in combination, a hollow metal cylinder closed at both ends by headers hermetically sealed thereto, an elongated supporting member disposed within said cylinder and coaxial therewith, anode and grid elements supported by said supporting mem. ber in spaced insulting relationship, and a cathode secured to one of said headers and disposed within said supporting member.

4. An electric discharge device comprising, in combination, a hollow metal cylinder closed at both ends by headers hermetically sealed thereto, a cylindrical supporting member secured within said cylinder, anode and grid elements supported by said supporting member, and a cathode supported by one of said headers and extending toward said elements.

5. An electric discharge device comprising, in combination, a hollow metal cylinder closed at both ends by headers hermetically sealed thereto, a cylindrical supporting member secured within said cylinder, anode and grid elements supported by said supporting member, and a cathode supported by one of said headers and extending toward but spaced from said elements.

6. An electric discharge device comprising, in combination, a hollow cylinder closed at ,both ends, a supporting member within said cylinder, an anode peripherally supported by said supporting member, a plurality of disc-likegrids peripherally supported by said supporting member and spaced from one another and from said anode, and an elongated cathode mounted withinsaid cylinder and extending toward said grids.

7. An electric discharge device comprising,rin combination, a hollow cylinder closed at both ends by headers hermetically sealed theretdan elongated support mounted within said cylinder and coaxial thereto, a circular anode peripherally supported by said support, a disc-like perforated grid peripherally supported by said support, a filament support mounted on one of said headers and extending therefrom toward said grid, and a cathode filament mounted on said filament support.

8. An electric discharge device comprising, in combination, a hollow metal cylinder closedat both ends by headers hermetically sealed thereto, a hollow metal cylindrical support disposed within said cylinder and having a flared end engaging one of said headers, a disc-like anode mounted in said support, a plurality of disc-like grids mounted in said support, means associated with said support for insulating said grids from lsaid anode, and a cathode iilamentv supported by 5 Y said last-mentioned header and disposed within said support, Y

9. An electric discharge device comprising, in combination, a cylinder closed at both ends by headers hermetically sealed thereto, anode and grid elements in said cylinder, supporting means in said cylinder for supporting said elements in said cylinder against forces exerted on said cylinder axially or transversely thereof, a lament in said cylinder, and means in said cylinder for supporting said lament against shocks exerted on said cylinder coaxially thereof.

10. An electric discharge device comprising, in combination, a cylinder closed at both ends by headers hernietically sealed thereto, a shock resistant support disposed within said cylinder between said headers, disclike anode and grid elements carried by said support in spaced relation, means for insulating said elements from one another, a cathode filament in said cylinder, and a shock resistant support carried by one of said headers for supporting said lament.

11. An electric discharge device comprising, in combination, a hollow metal cylinder closed at both ends by headers hermetically sealed thereto, an elongated supporting member disposed within said cylinder coaxially therewith, said supporting member being substantially narrower along its central portion than at its ends, anode and grid elements supported by said supporting member in said narrower portion in spaced insulated relationship, and a cathode secured to one of said headers and disposed within said supporting member 12. In an electric discharge device comprising, in combination, a cylinder closed at both ends by headers hermetically sealed thereto, anode and grid elements in said cylinder, supporting means in said cylinder for supporting said elements in said cylinder against forces exerted on said cylinder axially or transversely thereof, a glass post secured to one of said headers within said cylinder, a metal post mounted in said glass post and extending therefrom, the free end of said metal post being bifurcated, lament wire looped over said bifurcated end, a pair of conductors extending through said header, and resilient connectors connecting the ends of said lament respectively to said conductors.

CURTIS HILLYER, JR, HENRY BLACKSTONE. 

